The present invention relates to an inflation and handling assistance device for inflatable tires, and particularly to shop equipment to facilitate efficient inflation and safer tire handling.
Standard tire replacement procedures include removal of a damaged or worn tire from a rim, followed by the mounting of a new tire onto the conserved rim. The machinery and methods for this step are known and include powered angular displacement tools which assist the walls of the tire into the depression between the inner and outer rim members.
Once the new tire is mounted in position within the rim walls the next step is the introduction of pressurized air in a manner cooperative with the sealing of the tire rim sealing areas against the radially outer, but inwardly facing areas of the rim walls. In many cases, the tire facing walls in the uninflated state are close together creating a significant gap between one side of the tire walls and the space between the inner and outer rim members.
This gap, especially when the tire and rim assembly is resting on a flat surface, forms to one side and particularly resists engagement of the rim engagement surface of the tire with the opposing inwardly facing area of the rim wall. For smaller tires a pneumatically activated belt or other assist can help with tire sealing. For larger, more stiff tires, the problem requires a different solution. This assistance device works for smaller tires and can overcome the positional forces of having the tire and rim supported by a flat surface. However, larger tires, especially commercial truck tires, are generally too rigid to have the center of their treads forced inward to cause flaring of the tire side walls.
The ground supported tire can be dangerous where a user attempts to lift and support the rim in an attempt to cause the tire to inflate as the hand can be caught between the rim and rim engagement surfaces of the new tire. Further, for tires larger than small automobile tires, attempting to manipulate the tire on a flat surface is not only difficult and dangerous but also one of the worst positions from which to move the tire if inflation is achieved. A single worker must try to reach under the tire to simultaneously lift and push it forward in order to keep a grip. This position is awkward and has a significant incidence of worker injury associated with it.
Even though the tire is lifted from one side, it is still an awkward dead lift. Where the floor surface is slippery, and where the worker is strong lifting the tire from the floor surface may be nearly impossible. A second worker may be required to stabilize the side of the tire which is supposed to be pivoted against the floor, and it may be advantageous to employ a special tool just to pry the weight of the resting tire upward. Even if this is done as safely as possible with two workers, employee injury is still likely to result from prying and lifting a tire in opposition between two workers.